Press releases

MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) - Belarus is the sixth largest nation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), reads a statistical overview issued by the Belarusian Statistics Committee ahead of the World Population Day (11 July), BelTA has learned.

As of the beginning of 2018 Belarus’ population stood at 9.492 million. In terms of population the country ranks 92nd in the world, 17th in Europe and 6th in the CIS.

With a population of 1.982 million, Minsk is the country's largest city. It is home to every fifth inhabitant of the country. The most populated regions are Minsk Oblast and Gomel Oblast (home to nearly 30% of the country’s population). The most populated district is Minsk District (215,400). The smallest town is Disna in Vitebsk Oblast (1,500).

Three quarters of the Belarusian population are urban residents. Most of them live in large cities. The rural population was 2.080 million as of early this year.

The average age of the population has been rising. Today it is 40.3 years (37.5 years for men, 42.8 for women). Most seniors live in Vitebsk Oblast region; the youngest city is Minsk.

This year the UNFPA will celebrate the theme "Family Planning is a Human Right." This day will focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. Population is the most talked about theme in the world today. The United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development up to 2030 (2030 Agenda) aims to fulfill important tasks: to eradicate poverty, to pass a thriving planet onto future generations, to build a peaceful and open to all society, thus ensuring decent living conditions for all. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), out of 230 indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals 96 are related to population.